On August 31, 2024, the 918th day of the war, key developments include: a Ukrainian attack on Belgorod, Russia, killing five and injuring 46; a Russian attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine, killing six, including a 14-year-old girl; and Russia launching over 400 missiles and drones at Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy fired Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk after an F-16 crash. Ukrainian forces advanced 2km in Russia’s Kursk region. NATO’s Jens Stoltenberg defended Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk. Russia sentenced journalist Sergei Mikhailov to eight years, and Ukraine urged Mongolia to arrest Putin on an ICC warrant. Penelope Kingsley 31/08/2024 8:01 pm
Israeli military operations continued in Jenin on Saturday, marking the fourth day of intense fighting in the West Bank. Families fled the Jenin refugee camp amid the deadliest Israeli operation in the area since October. Meanwhile, health workers administered polio vaccines to children in Khan Younis. In Tel Aviv, demonstrators protested against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Ava Sinclair 31/08/2024 8:01 pm
Residents of Tulkarm in the Israeli-occupied West Bank assessed damage from an Israeli raid that disrupted roads and utilities, leaving many Palestinians reeling. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers clashed with militants, trapping residents without water or internet. In Nur Shams, workers cleared rubble from bulldozers searching for explosives. Israeli troops largely withdrew from Tulkarm but continued operations in Jenin. At least 22 Palestinians and 20 militants have been killed since the raid began. The violence follows Hamas-led attacks on Israel, prompting fears of similar attacks from the West Bank. Noah Prescott 31/08/2024 8:01 pm
Japan’s National Police Agency reported nearly 40,000 individuals died alone in their homes in the first half of 2024, with over 70% aged 65 and above. Almost 4,000 were undiscovered for over a month, and 130 for a year. The report highlights the issue of isolation among Japan’s aging population. By 2050, Japan is expected to have 10.8 million elderly living alone. The government is addressing loneliness and isolation, with similar demographic challenges seen in neighboring countries like China and South Korea. Penelope Kingsley 31/08/2024 8:01 pm
Trains and flights have been cancelled in Japan as Typhoon Shanshan, one of the strongest in decades, drenches cities. At least six people have died and over 100 are injured. Now a tropical storm with 90km/h winds, Shanshan has left thousands without power. A level-five order was issued to millions in Kyushu. Despite weakening, it continues to cause heavy rain and warnings of landslides and flooding. Significant damage includes uprooted trees and overturned cars. All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines have cancelled numerous domestic flights. Penelope Kingsley 31/08/2024 8:01 pm
A Hong Kong court convicted former Stand News editors Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam in a sedition case, seen as a test for media freedom in the city. Arrested in December 2021, they pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to publish seditious content. This trial is the first media-related case since Hong Kong’s 1997 return to Chinese rule. Stand News, critical of the government, was shut down amid a crackdown on dissent following 2019 pro-democracy protests. The editors face up to two years in prison and a fine under a colonial-era sedition law. Ava Sinclair 29/08/2024 8:30 pm
UN Secretary-General AntĂłnio Guterres urged Israel to halt its large-scale military operation in the West Bank, which has killed an alleged terrorist and raised fears of escalating conflict. The operation, targeting “terror groups and terror cells,” has drawn international criticism. EU officials, including Josep Borrell and Janez Lenarcic, condemned Israel’s actions as violations of international law and human rights, warning against extending the conflict from Gaza. Ava Sinclair 29/08/2024 5:00 pm
A baby in Gaza was paralyzed by a mutated polio strain shed by vaccinated individuals, highlighting a public health policy failure. This marks the first polio case in Gaza in over 25 years, affecting an unvaccinated 10-month-old amid Israel-Hamas conflict. Scientists criticize the WHO’s eradication campaign, which nearly eliminated polio but failed to address vaccine-derived outbreaks. The strain evolved from a virus in an oral vaccine removed in 2016, leading to thousands of cases. Columbia University virologist Vincent Racaniello called the strategy “horrible.” Penelope Kingsley 29/08/2024 5:00 pm
The body of American archaeologist Karla Dana, 29, was recovered from the sea in Norway after the replica Viking boat she was on capsized during an expedition from the Faroe Islands. The US State Department confirmed her death. Dana was declared missing after the Norwegian Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) rescued the other five passengers. The group was part of the “Legendary Viking Voyage” project organized by Sail2North expeditions. A distress signal was sent at 5:45 p.m. local time on Tuesday, but a delayed response led to the rescue team arriving 50 minutes later. Noah Prescott 29/08/2024 5:00 pm
A team of oceanographers from the Schmidt Ocean Institute discovered a massive undersea mountain off Chile’s coast, taller than Greece’s Mount Olympus, and home to rare sea creatures. The seamount, stretching 1.9 miles from the Pacific Ocean floor, was found 900 miles from South America during a 28-day expedition on the R/V Falkor vessel. The team mapped the sea floor using sonar. The expedition also discovered 25 seamounts and over 170 species. Only about a quarter of the ocean floor has been mapped, despite covering 71% of Earth’s surface. Noah Prescott 29/08/2024 1:30 pm
